Friction draft-gear.



cation.

uivrnn erase I PATENT oration.

EDWARD W. NEWELL, OF PITTSBURGH, PEN

NSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTING- HOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OFWILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FRICTION DRAFT-GEAR. I

Patented filial. 2&1917.

Application filed August 17, 1915. I Serial No. 45,877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be, it known that I, EDWARD V. NnwnLL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in FrictionDraft- Gears, of which the following is a specifi- This inventionrelatesto friction draft gears, and more particularly s applied to Vrailwaycars for absorbing and dissipating shocks due tdbufling and draftstresses.

As the space available-for the installation of a draft gear is oftenlimited, it is highly desirable to provide a draft gear which can beinstalled in as confined a space as possible.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a draft gear of theabove character and for this purpose the parts which serve as followerplates are arranged at an intermediate point in the draft gear. 'By thismeans, the follower stops can be located at an interior point on thestop castings, thus permitting the use of shorter'stop castings,

and since the usual followers are dispensed with, outside space is notrequired for the followers, as in the former constructions.

Other objects and advantages will appear inthe following more detaileddescription In the accompanying drawing; Figure 1 is a verticallongitudinal section of a-draft gear mechanism embodying my invention;Fig. 2, a horizontal section thereof, as applied between the car centersills and showing the stop castings; Fig.3 an end view of the frontplunger wedge; Fig. 4 a side view thereof; Fig. 5 an end view of therear plunger-wedge; Fig. 6 a side view thereof; Fig. 7 an end view of'the front friction element; and Fig.- 8 a central vertical sectionthereof.

The usual yoke .1 connected to draw-bar '2 may be provided and withinthe yoke there is mounteda casing 3 having at the rear end, interioroppositely inclined friction faces 4:.

Within the casing 3'is a draft spring 5 bearing at one end against thefront end wall of the casing and at the opposite end against a frictionelement 6 having oppositely inclined friction faces 7. Centrally of thedraft gear there is provided QPl OSing plunger wedges 8 and 9, eachhaving oppositelyinclined friction faces and wedge blocks 10 havingfriction faces are mounted so that the friction faces thereofengagecorresponding 1116131011 faces of the plunger wedges 8 and 9, thefriction element 6, and

the casing 3. A rod 11 extends through a central op'enmg in the frictlonelement (3 and engages the at the front end the rod engagesa plate 12which bears against the draw-bar 2.

The rear plunger wedge 9 is provided with a stem 13 which engages abearing plate. 11 in the yoke l.

front plunger wedge S at the rear end and The front plunger wedge 8 isprovided I with lateral extensions 15 which are adapted to-engage stops16 ofthe stop castings 17 secured to the car center sills 18 and therear plunger-wedge 9 is provided with similar extensions 19 adapted toengage sto ps"20 of said stop castings. I

In order to provide initial compression in the draft spring, the springmay bemade of such length that when the parts are assembled, the wedgeblocks will be at their innermost positions with the plunger wedgespressed apart.

I \Vhen the draft gear is to be applied to the car, a chisel is driveninto one of the recesses 21 provided at the'rear end of the casing 3, soas to engage the rear face of the plunger wedge .9. Said wedge is thusforced forwardly, and the wedge blocks 10 are then moved outwardly andforwardly, causing the front friction element 6 to also move forward soas to compress the spring 5. The

draft gear is now installed on the car and the projections 15 and 19having been forced toward each other by the action of the chisel, can bereadily inserted within the space between the stops 16 and 20. Thechisel is now removed and the projections 15 and 19 move back slightlyuntil they engage the re spective stops 16 and 20, which prevent furthermovement and thus hold the spring under initial compression.

Under a buffing stress, the pressure is transmitted through rod 11 tothe front plunger wedge 8 and since the projections 19. engage the stops20 and act as a follower plate, the movement of the plungerwedge 8 willforce the wedge blocks 10 laterally and rearwardly, so that the casingis forced rearwardly, causing the compression of the draft spring When adraft stress is applied to the car, the yoke 1 is pulled forwardly andwith it will be forced the rear plunger wedge 9 and since the stops l6prevent the forward movement of the follower extensions 15, the wedgeblocks 10 laterally and forwardly, so that the friction element (3 isforced forwardly to compress the draft spring 5.

, It will now be seen that the projections 15 and 19 take the place ofthe usual follower plates and since'they are located at a11intel-mediate point of the gear, the stops for same may becorrespondingly located, thus permitting a reduction in the length ofthe stop castings, and dispensing with the space usually required forfollower plates.

Having now described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The combination with a draw-bar, of a friction draft gear comprisingfront and rear friction elements each having oppositely inclinedfriction faces, centrally ar ranged plunger wedges having oppositelyinclined friction faces, wedge friction faces adapted to cooperate withthe friction faces of the friction elements and the plurger wedges,stationary stops, )rojecti'ons carried by said plunger wedges forengaging the stops, and a yielding resistance for opposing the movementof the friction members. i

2. The combination with a draw-bar, of a friction draft gaucomprisingfront and rear friction elements each having oppositely inclinedfriction faces, centrally arranged plunger wedges having oppositelyinclined friction faces, wedge blocks having friction faces adapted tocooperate with the friction faces of the friction elements and-- theplunger wedges, stop castings secured to the car center SlllS andprovided with stops,

blocks having projections carried by the plunger wedges for engagingsaid stops when the draw-bar is subjected to butling and draft stresses,and a yielding resistance for opposing the movement of the frictionmembers.

3. The combination with a friction draft gear comprising a. casinghaving interior oppositely inclined friction faces, centrally arrangedplunger. wedges having oppositely inclined friction faces, a frontfriction element having oppositely inclined friction faces, a draftspring mounted between the casing and said friction element, wedgeblocks having friction faces adapted to cooperate with the frictionfaces of the easing, said friction elementfand the plunger wedges,stationary stops, and projections carried by the plunger 'wedgesforengaging the stops.

4. The combination with a friction draft gear comprising, a casinghavinginterior oppositely inclined friction faces, centrally arranged plungerwedges having oppositely inclined friction faces, a front frictionelement having oppositely inclined friction faces, a draft springmounted between the casing and said friction element, wedge blockshaving friction faces adapted to cooperate with the friction faces ofthe casing, said friction element, and the plunger wedges, projectionscarried by wedges, and stationary stops spaced to engage saidprojections and hold the draft spring under initial compression.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD \V. NEW ELL. lVitnesscs A. M. CLnnnN'rs, Y B. A. OLIVER.

said plunger

